I watch my blister
of a bungalow get splat-tattooed
with a red, white, and blue swastika.

I watch the window
and the rock sailing through the window
with a promise.

I watch the moon
as if the moon had any answers,
her face hidden in a disgrace of clouds.

I watch my no-account savings account
buy a cup of coffee and a heap of humiliation,
and you ask me why I'm going to the March?

- J. Patrick Lewis
-------------------------

...and I also love this imagined voice from George Ella Lyon, whom, thrill of thrills, I got to meet this past November at NCTE!:

HALLEY LIZA CLEMONS
30, Hotel Maid
Nashville, Tennessee

A pause between speakers
and a man white as a pillowslip

asks where I came from,
how I go there. I say

Nashville, Tennessee. I took
a bus. That satisfies him.

He's from Kentucky. He drove.

But it would be truer to say
somebody sang me here.

If it wasn't for some old
woman, one of my greats,

humming, working
dark to dark, never giving

up, I wouldn't even be. She
kept the song of our blood

going. She carried me here.

- George Ella Lyon
-------------------
and finally, a poem I found in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech delivered August 28, 1963, Washington, DC. I wrote it in the form of a letter, since he liked letters. All the words appear in order, kind of like blackout poetry. Fun!

Dear Martin,

Today injustice

still lives

in the corners

of our republic.

Yes, freedom

promises

brotherhood.

Equality

is awakening

whirlwinds

of thirst.

Fresh storms

rise up

on the red hills,

heat exalted,

hope jangling

into faith –

we join hands,

sing,

at last.

- Irene Latham

-----------------------------------
And NOW, the reason you're here: Please leave your link and visit the awesomeness that is Poetry Friday Roundup!

72 comments:

I can't believe I'm first in line! Wowie! I get to be the first one to say thank you for starting the festivities with such inspiring poems from three eloquent writers -- such vivid images in all three pieces. xoxo

Yes, thank you for the peeks into this wonderful book! I'm particularly struck by the images/connections in George Ella Lyon's succinct words. And you know I'm crazy for found poetry: hope jangling/into faith –/we join hands,"... love that!

Great choices from VOICES FROM THE MARCH, Irene. It's a timely book, with so many civil rights protests going on right now. I enjoyed reading it.

Before I head into a week of intense revisions, I'm sharing "I Don't Want to Write a Sonnet," my parody of a song from the movie Frozen. http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2015/01/poetry-friday-frozen-parody-for-poets.html

Voices from the March... was delivered to the library this week, and as soon as it is covered, it is mine! What a fine introduction you've given it. Nice epistolary poem, Irene! Don't you love that 50 cent word? Found poems can be so unexpected.

I didn't read every poem yet in Voices, but the ones I did read have a power to them. Your black out poem is masterful in the way those words he said can come together in a poem set in this day. Why are we still here?

Such powerful poems, Irene. I'm Australian, and didn't know it was MLK day, but by chance by post fits with the theme because I've posted about Brown Girl Dreaming: http://sallymurphy.com.au/2015/01/poetry-friday-brown-girl-dreaming/

Good morning, Irene, and yes, Selma on my mind--all day every day since I saw it last Saturday. I like how your "blackout" poem brings new light. I've been (WHY?) resisting "Voices from the March," but I'll get it now...

Thanks for posting this trio of poems, Irene. The line that I find most powerful is "his face white as a pillowslip" - so ominou, a real KKK moment. I was sorry not to see Selma's director nominated for an Oscar today -she deserved a nomination. It's an outstanding film.

Love the wonderful images in all of these poems. Thank you for sharing parts of this book. I HAVE to buy it now. Thanks for hosting this week. I'm sharing a poem I wrote because my poetic wheels stopped spinning midway through MOP. http://robyn-campbell.blogspot.com/2015/01/poetry-friday_16.html

Thank you for the glimpse of VOICES FROM THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON! Your found poem is timely, moving, and hopeful. My post today is a response to Joyce Sidman's challenge on Today's Little Ditty last week.

When J.Patrick Lewis writes: "blister of a bungalow get splat-tattooed" I shiver.When George Ellen Lyon writes: "somebody sang me here" I shiver.And your found letter/poem is brilliant - especially :"Equalityis awakeningwhirlwindsof thirst."I hope it finds a way to a collection. I didn't know him of course, but I think he would like it, Irene.

Jan, thank you for your kind words! I wonder sometimes what he would say about our world today. So much progress. Not perfect, but wow, we're much closer to the Dream than ever before. Btw, I wasn't able to comment on your blog, and I so wanted to! Is there a button I'm missing??

Irene, l love your found poem from MLK's "I Have a Dream Speech." Worked four days this week, now I know why I never joined Poetry Friday when I was teaching. Joining the Roundup late, but here with a favorite poetry book.

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